


Warmth

by sophisticus



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-20 14:01:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14262534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophisticus/pseuds/sophisticus
Summary: While Luffy and co. head onto the frozen-over Drum Island to find a doctor for the desperately ill Nami, Zoro offers to stay and watch the ship. Kitty Mamakoto, a fairly recent addition to the crew who has a particularly low cold tolerance, decides to hang back too. It was supposed to be a quiet day or so, but never underestimate the ability of the Strawhat crew to cause a ruckus.





	Warmth

Kitty sneezed hard, then shot a sullen glare at the overcast sky. Usopp gave her a sympathetic look as she pulled her coat close around her to ward off the freezing air and the snow that fell in fat flakes from the sky.

“You don’t look like you’re built for these temperatures,” he remarked.

Kitty grunted. “I’m from a jungle island,” she explained. “Set me down in a hot and humid place, and I’m just fine. But wintery places like these are downright miserable to me.”

“If you’re gonna go with Luffy and Nami and everybody, now’s your chance,” Zoro called from the upper deck.

“I’m going with them, are you two coming?” Usopp asked, shouldering his bag.

“I’ll stay and watch the ship,” Zoro offered.

“I’ll stay too,” Kitty said. “I can hardly function in this cold.”

“We’ll be back after we find Nami a doctor!” Luffy called. Nami lay draped over his back, hardly conscious but swaddled up in a coat regardless, and her head lolled as he turned and strode into the knee-deep snow. Behind him, Sanji, Usopp, and the princess Vivi waved before they too headed inland after the captain.

Kitty immediately headed inside to the moderately warmer kitchen. Sanji had left her a thermos full of hot chocolate on the kitchen counter, and she poured herself a mug before settling in for a bit with a book. She’d barely gotten comfortable, however, before a loud repeating thumping echoed throughout the ship, shaking the beams and floor.

Pulling the blanket tightly around her, she opened the door to find Zoro standing on the deck, shirtless and training with the ridiculously oversized metal weights he kept. He swung the heavy bar around as if it were made of bamboo, barely sparing her a glance.

“You’re gonna catch your death dressed like that,” Kitty pointed out.

“I’ll be fine,” he grunted. His breath huffed out in front of him in a silver cloud as he moved, before drifting away in the freezing air.

She snorted. “Nonsense. At least come have some hot cocoa.”

“I’m fine.”

Kitty walked carefully across the slippery deck until she was face to face with him, and held out her cup. Zoro raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t take it until she held it up in his face, nearly bumping the tip of his nose. "Take it."

“Geez, fine,” he griped. He dropped the weights with a loud thud and accepted the cup. Kitty stared him down until he sighed and took a sip. “There, happy now?”

“Yes,” Kitty said. “Now keep it down out here, will you? I’m trying to read and you’re being distracting.”

Despite her stern tone, Zoro’s lips twitched up into a smile. “I’m distracting you?”

She scoffed and crossed her arms. “No.”

“Well, I can’t make promises about being quiet, but you need to get out of my way so I can keep practicing,” he said.

“You’re gonna stay out here? In bullshit degrees?”

“Sure it’s cold but it’ll make me stronger. You could try it too, you know.”

Kitty strode past him, stepping carefully on the icy deck. “Ask me again when it’s not so cold that your sweat can freeze onto your skin.”

Zoro shrugged, picking up the weights once more. “Suit yourself.”

She was nearly back to the door when movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Kitty turned and leaned against the rail and peered deep into the forest.

Behind her, Zoro paused in his exercise. “What is it?”

“I thought I saw a light,” she said. She leaned forward, squinting. “Right there-”

As she leaned forward, her foot slipped on the ice beneath her. It was only a small slip, but it was enough to upset her balance, and before she could grab onto the railing, she tipped forward over the edge. Behind her, she distantly heard Zoro swear and drop the weights.

The freezing air whipped past even as the water rushed up at her. Panic bloomed in Kitty’s chest, and she barely managed to grab a lungful of air before she slammed into the water.

The shock of the cold hurt even worse than hitting the water itself. Kitty felt her strength immediately drain away, paralyzing her, and her breath bubbled out before she could stop it.

She faintly heard a splash far above her, and a dark shadow quickly approached her as she slowly sank. Kitty was able to glimpse a glimmer of green and gold before her vision faded away. An arm wrapped around her waist, and then she was rising, rising until her head broke the surface of the water into the icy air.

“Hey, are you okay!?” Zoro’s voice echoed in her ears. She couldn’t bring up the strength to open her eyes, much less reply, but after a moment she felt herself being thrown over his shoulder as he climbed back aboard the Merry. Dripping water the entire way, Zoro carried her across the deck and inside the belly of the ship, and set her down against the wall. “Wake up, you have to get those wet clothes off.”

Kitty squinted at him even as he turned and started rummaging through one of the chests of clothes off to the side. “Y-y-you’ve g-got to b-be kidding m-me,” she said, her chattering teeth taking the bite out of her words.

“I’m not saying it because I want you to get naked,” Zoro snapped. He tossed a pair of soft pants and a t-shirt, which looked like one of Nami’s, at her. “You’re gonna get hypothermia if you don’t warm up, and you can’t do that in soaking wet clothes in these temperatures.”

“…Alright.” Kitty waited until Zoro had turned away to give her some privacy, then started tugging at her clothes. Her skirt and underwear came off easily enough, and she quickly pulled on the soft pants, but her shirt took more effort. The sheer sleeves clung to her skin, and her hands shook too much to get a proper grip. Her face burned as she glanced at Zoro, back still turned to her. “I need help.”

Zoro twisted around, peering at her from the corner of his eye as if afraid to look at her directly. “Seriously?”

Kitty gave him her best pleading look. He sighed and came over, sitting safely behind her, before gripping the bottom of her top and tugging it upwards. She lifted her arms to help, and with a wet sucking noise, the cloth pulled free from her body. Kitty folded her arms over her chest, covering herself before twisting to peek at Zoro.

His face was an interesting shade of crimson, and he avoided her gaze. “Thank you,” she said.

“Yeah, well, you don’t need help putting a shirt _on_ , right?” he replied gruffly, standing and still looking everywhere except for at her. She shook her head, and pulled the dry shirt on. She’d barely finished before a blanket landed in her lap. “Wrap up in that, you need to bring your body temperature up so you don’t get sick,” Zoro said.

Kitty did as he asked, wrapping the soft material around herself. “Don’t you need to change too? You’re all wet.”

“I’ll be alright.”

“Come on, it’s not like I’m trying to get you naked,” she teased, echoing his words from earlier. Zoro shot her an incredulous look, and his face turned even redder. “You’re not immune to getting sick either. Just change clothes real quick and I’ll leave you alone about it.”

He hefted a heavy sigh, but she knew she’d won when his shoulders slumped. “Fine, but turn around. I don’t want you ogling me,” he said. Despite the harsh words, his voice was teasing, and she laughed a bit before turning around to give him the privacy he wanted. Kitty waited until she’d heard his wet clothes hit the floor, then the rustling of dry clothes being pulled on, before she peeked.

Zoro had pulled on new pants, but his torso was still bare. Kitty’s eyes zeroed in on the long, thin scar that stretched from his shoulder diagonally across his chest to his hip, and her breath caught as she imagined just how horrible that cut must’ve originally been.

“Hey, what did I say about ogling?” he scolded, though there was no bite to his words.

Kitty blinked, focusing, and felt her cheeks flush a deep pink. “I-I- Sorry, I thought you were done,” she stammered, unable to tear her eyes away from the V of his hips disappearing down into his low-slung pants. _Oh shit, he’s hot. He’s_ really _hot._

“Are you just gonna keep staring?” Zoro said pointedly, finally pulling on his own shirt. Kitty finally looked away, busying herself adjusting the blanket, and he snorted.

“You can go back to your training now, if you want,” she offered after a moment.

“Nah. I’m too tired from saving your ass,” he replied. Zoro turned and sat next to her, leaning back against the wall. “You devil-fruit users need to be more careful, you’re nearly as bad as Luffy.”

“Oh come on, that’s a little harsh don’t you think?” Kitty protested.

A shiver wracked her body as she spoke. Zoro moved closer, jerking the blanket tighter around her. “Besides, I need to make sure you warm up. Luffy would be pissed if he saved one crewmate from being sick, and came back to find another sick.”

Kitty looked up at the man kneeling in front of her, barely a foot of space between them. “Is Luffy the only reason you’re doing this?”

Zoro looked as surprised at the question as she was to have voiced it. His three earrings jangled quietly as he sat back on his haunches, staring her down with a calculating look. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…we’ve been through a lot,” she said hesitantly. Kitty fiddled with the corner of the blanket, avoiding his stare. “We’ve even sparred a bit, and we’ve saved each other lives a few times. We’ve got a rapport. I thought that…I don’t know what I thought,” she finished weakly.

Zoro rubbed the back of his neck. “Man, I’m not real good with this kind of thing,” he sighed. “I’ve always believed in actions rather than words. You’re strong, and you fight for what you believe in, and I respect that. And on a personal level, I do like you. Can’t you tell that?”

“I mean, yeah,” Kitty said evasively. “You’re just really cool and I don’t know how to just go up to someone and say I’m interested.”

“So you wait until _after_ you nearly drown and then die of hypothermia?” Zoro demanded. “You have the worst sense of timing, you know-”

His words cut off as Kitty’s mouth collided with his in a hasty, messy kiss. After a long moment, she pulled back, eyes still closed, ready for him to berate her or worse, say he wasn’t interested like that.

When he finally spoke, all he said was, “Your mouth is cold.”

Kitty’s eyes flew open in surprise. Zoro hadn’t moved away, though a flush had risen in his cheeks once more.  “Sorry,” she said without thinking.

“Don’t say sorry, just fix it.” His eyes stayed fixed on hers as he tilted his head, then pressed a light kiss to her lips. His mouth was warm on hers, and before she could psych herself out of the moment, Kitty reached up and wound her fingers into Zoro’s short green hair like she’d imagined herself doing so many times. For a man that could be so rough, his hair and mouth were incredibly soft.

Zoro moved closer, deepening the kiss. His hands brushed up her thighs, and though she was still cold from her plunge into the icy waters, his touch warmed her to the core. Their kiss turned needy, and soon Kitty was all but sitting in his lap.

Kitty slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt, but the moment her fingers touched his skin, Zoro flinched back. She pulled back and gave him a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

“Your hands are fucking cold,” he growled.

“Maybe _you_ should touch _me_ ,” Kitty said breathlessly. It was much bolder than she would normally be comfortable with, but here, alone with him, she felt safe to be honest.

Her words got more of a reaction from the swordsman than she bargained for. She’d already been able to feel his arousal pressing through the fabric of his pants, but at her suggestion, he growled and attacked her mouth with a newfound fervor that swept all thought from her mind. At the same time, his hands slipped under her shirt. His hands were calloused from years of swordplay, but his warm touch was gentle against her skin. Zoro tugged at her shirt, and at the silent request Kitty lifted her arms. He pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, but took a moment to tug the blanket back around her to keep her warm.

“Zoro?”

Judging from the flare of arousal both in his eyes in his pants at her breathless voice, he liked the sound of his name on her lips. “Hmm?”

“Can we move to somewhere more comfortable than the floor?” she asked.

Zoro didn’t bother to answer. He pulled her flush against his chest, gripped her close, and stood with her still in his arms. His mouth caught hers again, and a moment later he’d lain her down on the single bed. Still wrapped up in the soft woolen blanket, he gently lowered himself down until he lay atop her.

In between more languid kisses and Zoro’s warm hands roaming every single exposed inch of skin, they managed to remove Zoro’s shirt as well as both of their pants and underclothes. Kitty’s hands stroked over his chest and stomach, marveling at the carved muscled that rippled under her touch. Her fingertips paused as they brushed over the biggest of the many scars that marred his skin, stretching all the way from his collarbone to his hip. “You almost died with this one,” she murmured.

Zoro’s eyes were wary as he looked down at her. “I’ve almost died a lot of times.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Kitty said softly. Zoro’s gaze softened, and when he kissed her again it was achingly tender.

“Me too,” he murmured. “Then I wouldn’t be able to kiss you-” He kissed her throat. “Or touch you-” His hand slid down her stomach, and she shuddered as his fingers stroked over her, just a teasing touch. “Or…”

“Or?” Kitty repeated breathlessly.

True to his nature, Zoro let his actions speak for themselves. He lowered his hips to hers and slowly ground his impressive length right against her core. His movements were agonizingly slow but they sent electricity arcing through her veins, and it took only moments for Kitty’s breathing to grow labored. She tried to wriggle her hips to swallow him, but he pulled back with a taunting grin. “Be patient,” he teased.

Kitty reached up and grasped his head, pulling him down into a harsh kiss. She shoved her tongue into his mouth, drawing a surprised but pleased moan from him. Taking advantage of the distraction, she wriggled underneath his hard body until she finally succeeded – it was just a little, but Zoro slid inside her just enough for them both to stop and revel at the sensation.

“That’s a cheap trick.” Zoro’s voice was strained when he finally spoke.

Kitty stroked her hands over his arms, propped up as he was on his elbows. “You’d think after all the times we’ve sparred, you’d know me a little better, Zoro.”

Just like she’d hoped, saying his name in such a warm voice, in such an intimate setting, pushed the man over the edge. With a groan, he lowered his hips the rest of the way, sinking deep inside her. Kitty shuddered at the sensation and clutched him close. She dragged her nails down his back as he moved, languid and gentle, stealing a kiss now and then. His three earrings jangled quietly as his hips rocked, and he growled low and harsh as he picked up the pace.

Kitty shivered under the assault of sensations, and hiss breathing was harsh as he buried his face against her throat. “Zoro,” she whimpered. “Zoro I’m c-close, I’m gonna-”

She cut off and gasped as Zoro reached a rapid pace, reaching deep and swift with every snap of his hips. It was hardly five more seconds before lightning flickered throughout her veins, and she shuddered and fractured around him with a cry.

Zoro groaned as she clenched around him, and it barely took him a few more thrusts until he found his own release. He slowed to a near-stop, slowly rocking just a fraction of an inch as they both rode out the waves of their orgasms.

After a moment, when they’d come back to their senses, Zoro allowed himself to collapse down atop her. Their skin was slick with sweat, but Kitty didn’t mind even as she pressed a kiss to his damp brow.

“I can’t believe we just did that,” Kitty said quietly. Zoro chuckled, the laughter rumbling in his chest.

“Don’t tell me you regret it,” he teased. His hand stroked her now-wild hair, and he kissed her even as he carefully withdrew himself from her.

She turned to face him as he laid beside her. “Absolutely not. I’d be embarrassed to admit how long I’ve wanted this,” she confessed.

“Are you at least warm now?”

Kitty laughed, and gave an exaggerated wipe of her brow. “I think I’ll live.”

Zoro’s eyes glinted warmly. “Good.”


End file.
